Leeds Removal Companies: How to Handle the July Student Move Rush

Leeds is one of the UK's biggest student cities, and that makes the removals calendar unusual. Student tenancies in Headingley, Hyde Park and Burley tend to end and start around the same weeks of the summer, which means a huge spike of moves in a short window, on top of the normal flow of family and flat moves across the city.

What the rush looks like

For a small removal company or man-with-a-van, the phone doesn't stop: "How much to move a room from Hyde Park to Meanwood?", "Can you take a sofa and six boxes on the 30th?", "Do you do storage over summer?". Most messages come in the evening, often from several housemates at once, and every one wants a quick quote.

What you need to quote a move

• Pickup and drop-off postcodes
• Date and preferred time
• Rough inventory: boxes, furniture, large items
• Floors and whether there are stairs or a lift
• Parking at both ends
• Whether they need help loading, packing or storage

A quote that goes out with half this information usually turns into a price dispute on the day. A quote that takes a day to go out usually doesn't get accepted.

The driver problem

In a small removals business, the person who answers the phone is often the person carrying the wardrobe down three flights of stairs. Replying in the middle of a job isn't realistic, and every hour an enquiry waits during the rush, it's more likely to go to a competitor.

How MessyChat handles the enquiries

MessyChat connects to your WhatsApp and Instagram and replies to every enquiry within seconds. You give it your pricing guide, areas covered, what's included and the details you need for a quote. It answers the customer's questions and gathers those details in the conversation, so when you check in after a job, the enquiries are ready for a firm quote.

Complaints, such as damaged items or a late arrival, are flagged to you by email, and you can take over any conversation at any time.

Set it up before the summer

Setup takes a few minutes, and there's a 7-day free trial with no card required. You can set GBP as the currency MessyChat quotes in.